What to Serve with Yellow Squash? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Summer squashes make great base ingredients for many recipes and are a staple in every kitchen.

One common variant is the sweet yellow squash, the key ingredient in many sweet veg-based dishes.

If you’re serving it as the entrée, you want to ensure sufficient side dishes to make your meal feel complete.

So, if you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with yellow squash, this guide will help you decide on the best options for your health and palate.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Yellow Squash?

The first thing to consider when cooking yellow squash is its mild and sweet flavor.

The sweetness is pleasant yet may not be the best option for people who don’t have sweet tooths.

So, when considering the sweet and nutty yellow squashes, you want to ensure that you don’t overwhelm your palate with sweetness.

Dishes that are lightly astringent, refreshing, spicy, or savory are your best bet, as they help balance the flavor and nutrition of your meal.

What to Serve with Yellow Squash? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Veggies, fruits, or meat can go well with yellow squash.

So, take a look at the ten best sides that will impress you regardless of how you cook your squash.

1 – Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs

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Chicken breasts are a significant part of the Mediterranean diet when considering meats.

This kabob side dish requires nothing more than grilling chunks of chicken breasts with bell peppers and cherry tomatoes in a skewer.

The exciting thing about this dish is that you can use just about any Mediterranean ingredient to complement the chicken.

Pairing it with yellow squash balances the nutrient intake by adding protein, fiber, and vitamins.

Drizzle the kabobs with Greek yogurt sauce before serving to give it a tangy accent and make your meal easier to digest.

2 – Steak Noodle Salad

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With something as mild and buttery as yellow squash, you can always get creative with the number of flavors in the side dish.

So, what better way than to go all out and use two of everyone’s favorites: steak and noodles, but make it healthier?

This side dish carefully incorporates meat and veggies with noodles to create a harmonious blend of flavors that appeal to the palate and nutrition that your body needs.

The steak is juicy, tender, and smoky, while the noodles and vegetables add a fresh crunchiness to complement the buttery squash.

You can go heavy or light on the seasonings, and they’ll only taste delicious each time.

3 – Spicy Mushroom Pasta

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The mushroom and pasta combination gives a meaty and tender texture contrasting the buttery squash.

Besides, its spicy and savory flavor also pairs well with the mild sweetness of the squash.

This side dish contains no meat but can substitute for any meaty dishes.

However, if you like to have some meaty elements in your pasta, you can always cook it in a lard-based sauce.

The subtle flavor of mushrooms does not overwhelm the other ingredients in the meal yet makes the meal feel rounded and complete.

After all, you can make mushrooms taste however you want.

4 – Herby Turkey Meatballs

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This is a quick side dish for weeknight dinners when you want to eat healthy without sacrificing flavor.

Ground turkey mixed with freshly chopped cilantro, basil, and mint gives this side dish a complex flavor that is perfect to pair with the yellow squash.

Shaping them into balls keeps the meat inside moist while the exterior attains a golden crust.

You can cook the tender meatballs with a thick gravy and plenty of aromatics for a deeper flavor.

Since turkey meat tends to be dry, it is best to avoid cooking them at a high temperature to retain the maximum moisture.

5 – Pan-Fried Potstickers

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Potstickers are dumplings with meat and vegetable filling fried after steaming.

These are the ultimate side dish to go for if you are making yellow squash soup.

The pan-frying process delivers a crusty bottom while keeping the filling moist.

Potstickers taste exceptional when dipped into the soup before eating.

The meaty filling provides a savory contrast to the sweet squash, balancing the flavor of your meal.

Unlike regular dumplings, potstickers have a slightly thinner wrapper that makes them translucent when cooked; this is another reason you should serve them.

After all, who doesn’t want visually appealing food on their dinner table?

6 – Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Meatloaf

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Meatloaves are a staple item that can save your day when you’re not in the mood to cook, and they’re perfect to pair with a veg-based meal such as yellow squash.

But meatloaves don’t always have to be the same old ground meat shaped and baked into a loaf.

Consider giving it an Italian twist by adding parmesan and tomatoes, not just any tomatoes but sun-dried ones.

Sun-dried tomatoes give a tart flavor to the meatloaf that lingers on your palate.

Meanwhile, the parmesan gives a savory flavor with a cheesy texture.

Now, who wouldn’t love that? It will likely become a favorite among your dinner guests.

7 – Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

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Brussels sprouts aren’t on everyone’s list of favorites, but they’re one of the best and most accessible ingredients you can rely on if you know how to use them.

For instance, consider making a savory shaved brussels sprouts salad to pair with the sweet yellow squash.

Shaving the brussels sprouts into thin strips allows them to absorb more flavor and makes them easier to eat.

Besides balancing the flavors, this salad adds a crunchy element to your meal.

With the new visual you’ve given to the widely neglected vegetable, some might even reconsider their dislike of brussels sprouts.

8 – Spinach and Chickpea Stew

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If you’re looking for a vegan, high-fiber, and low-calorie side dish, consider serving a chickpea stew with plenty of spinach.

It’ll be a full veg-based meal, but you’ll enjoy it nonetheless; the trick is to use the right spices.

Chickpeas add texture to the stew while providing protein; you can mash a portion to thicken the stew.

On the other hand, spinach provides vitamins and minerals and gives more substance to the stew.

This stew is quite filling, so you’ll likely have leftovers even if you make a small batch.

But you don’t have to fret because they can last up to 3 days, provided you refrigerate them.

9 – Ground Beef Stuffed Mushrooms

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Stuffed mushrooms are a classic side that can make a boring meal exciting.

Since yellow squash tastes sweet, consider using ground beef and cheese for the stuffing; they will add a savory accent to your meal.

To get the most out of this side dish, choose mushrooms with large caps like portobello, as they can hold much of the stuffing.

Also, don’t just remove the gills; remove some portion of the cap to make sufficient space for the meat filling.

To add more variety, you can sauté the mushroom stipe and remaining cap portions into another side dish.

10 – Hot and Sour Tofu Soup

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If you’re serving yellow squash during early fall, you definitely need some soup to warm you up, so try a hot and sour soup with tofu.

The tofu is cooked in a vegetable broth with aromatics, vinegar, and chili sauce, making a light and pleasant finish to a heavy meal.

As its name suggests, this soup has a tangy, hot, and sour flavor.

The broth is flavorful and comforting, with a mild sourness from vinegar, while the tofu gives a dose of protein.

Chili flakes give the soup a red tint that contrasts with the color of squash.

Meanwhile, the tenderness of tofu pairs well with the buttery yellow squash.

Conclusion

Yellow squashes are mild-tasting summer squashes with a sweet undertone.

While they’re perfect for eating as is, pairing them with dishes that have contrasting flavor profiles keeps your meal balanced.

You can never go wrong with serving salads; they’re perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

You can save heavier dishes like stews and meatballs for dinners.

Since there’s no stone-etched rule to serve a particular side dish with yellow squash, you can always experiment with seasonings to make them suitable for your palate.